THIS IS SO SAD-HAPPENED YESTERDAY
At 2006-05-16 on 2:10 p.m.
Home > News > Top Stories > Article 5/16/2006 2:07:22 PM
Little Girl Killed by Tree
Taylor Dempsey
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5/15/2006 6pm report
5/15/2006 11pm report
By Charlene Shirk
First Coast News
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- She was "sunny and sweet and can never be replaced." Five year old Taylor Dempsey was a precious little girl, big eyes, big smile and pink barrettes in her hair. Her cute little girl voice is on the answering machine at her home. She giggles with her brother as she tells callers they need to leave a message.
It's those little girl things that her family will never get over losing. Taylor was playing hide and seek in her backyard in her Mandarin home. According to a neighbor a tree next door started to sway in the breeze and then a loud cracking noise was heard.
"We were out in our front yard and we heard the cracking of the tree and we looked up and saw a tree falling and heard the noise and then we heard screaming."
Denise Brainbridge came rushing to Taylor's home with her 12-year-old daughter Nichole. She made Nichole wait out front while she rushed into the backyard to help.
It was a good thing she did. Denise says even though she is a retired nurse she was not prepared for what she saw happen to Taylor.
"There were little girls playing with her and they were screaming, the mom was hysterical. She was probably not comprehending what happened."
What happened is that the tree fell into Taylor's backyard and crashed onto her little body. Her head was so injured that Denise knew she was gone, that there was no hope of saving her. "I couldn't even comprehend what I saw."
Taylor's Aunt, Laura Benedict came running up to the house when she heard the news and nearly collapsed to the ground in screams and tears. She was carried into the home.
More than an hour later, she slowly and bravely walked down the street to talk with reporters. She carried a large framed picture of Taylor -- a stunningly beautiful little girl.
"She was the sweetest, sunniest little girl ever. She will never, ever, ever be replaced and this is a big loss to all of our family. And her little brother who was there at the time of the accident. This is an absolute tragedy. We appreciate your concern but we now ask for our privacy so that we may grieve as a family."
The neighbors of the Dempsey's on Arrow Lakes Drive gathered in the front of Taylor's home to offer their comfort. Denise and her daughter Nichole plan to go back again and check on Taylor's family in the upcoming days.
They can only imagine the depth of loss her family is going through. And now every time they look at the majestic pines that fill their community they try to find comfort in the belief that Taylor is now soaring higher than any tree could ever reach.
"I was talking to another neighbor and they said there is another little angel in heaven now."